Arkansas or Kentucky might have higher GDP per capita as separate countries because they wouldn't get brain-drained to the coasts as easily, and free of federal

Arkansas or Kentucky might have higher GDP per capita as separate countries because they wouldn't get brain-drained to the coasts as easily, and free of federal domination, they could make themselves a superior immigration destination. They'd be in a far better geographic position to be prosperous than, say, Switzerland. With Kentucky, given the population, you can imagine New Zealand as a baseline.